14 DAY TRIAL // A 17-year old high school boy from San Antonio, Texas, has put the results of large car companies to shame by building his own electric vehicle with a budget of a little over $10,000 (including the price of the car). And he did it in no more than 150 hours of work time.
As top car companies are struggling to develop profitable electric cars that would eventually see transports go green at last, a teenager from Texas has done so with no help, except for financial aid and some assisting from his father. Lucas “Luke” Laborde took advantage of an eBay offer, and received $5,000 from his father in order to buy a little-used Bradley GT II car, with only several thousand miles on it. His father then invested yet another $4,700 on parts that would convert electricity, and $1,000 on eight 80-pound (36 kg) lead-acid batteries.
After removing the original engine (the car was originally equipped with VW Beetle engine, transmission and chassis), Luke managed to make room for some of the batteries hooked up in series, while he ingeniously hid the others in different parts of the car. Still, he still has to find a way to overcome the fact that the overall weight of the batteries twists the car's fiberglass body a little, preventing the gull-wing doors from closing properly. They provide a 96-volt electrical output, more than enough for the car's needs and for a top speed of 45 miles per hour (72.5 km/h), which is more than what Luke needs to ride to his high school situated about a mile away.
The car's board was featured with 2 more gouges that show amperage (how much electricity the engine draws) and voltage (how much energy is left). Lucas Laborde estimates the car will be able to perform about 20 trips to the high school and back before it needs to be recharged. Perhaps the electric car elite should take a good look at his car before continuing with their projects.